Tips on Beginning Water Exercises & Laps
Swimming is an excellent full-body cardiovascular exercise for weight loss, heart strengthening and general fitness. It is particularly helpful for those who are overweight, as swimming is easier on the joints than high-impact exercises, such as running and weight lifting. As with most exercises, swimming should be eased into; even if you are physically fit, your body will not be used to the unique set of motions that swimming entails.
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Duration
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Start small by swimming one lap, resting for 30 seconds, then repeating for 10 more laps. You will be surprised by how exhausting this is by itself. Gradually increase the amount you swim while decreasing the amount you rest; go from 30 seconds to 20, to 10, to zero. Then, start adding laps on, but never add more than 10 percent of your total in a given week. This means you should add one lap per week until you reach 20 laps per workout.
Reach Technique
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Focus on one stroke technique at a time. Start by focusing on bringing your arm as far forward as you can, then pausing for a second before you bring it in the water. Once you feel like you've mastered this, work on going even further by adding a shoulder movement, then work on putting your hand in the water at a side-to-side angle in order to minimize drag.
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Stroke Technique
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Apply the same principle to the way your hand moves when it is underwater. Start with making sure it comes all the way to your hips, then on moving it in a "swooping" motion to catch as much water as possible, which is then used to propel you forward.
Breathing Technique
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Work on keeping your head down at all times during the stroke, as this will make your back straight and your body more buoyant and efficient. Next, make sure you exhale as you move forward with your head underwater in order to reduce the amount of time you have to spend with your head tilted to breathe. Once these are mastered, you can work on turning your head just slightly to the side to breathe -- not too much and not too little -- as the former will put your body out of form and the latter will result in a mouthful of water.
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